Photoshop How To

Sometimes you come across a great scene, apart from the fact that two or more objects in the frame are too close together for an ideal composition. In some situations it’s possible to rectify the problem by changing your vantage point, but if that’s not possible there’s a quick editing fix.

In the video below, photo-editing expert Matt Kloskowski illustrates how easy it is to air out a scene by adding extra space between elements. And while he demonstrates this technique using an image of an Osprey up against a branch, you can employ this simple Photoshop trick with all sorts of photos indoors and out.

Some photographers might eliminate the offending vertical branch completely, but it’s actually a nice framing element—it’s just uncomfortably close to the main subject in the scene. So in barely just 12 minutes Kloskowski provides two options for proceeding.

Kloskowski turns to Photoshop’s straightforward Lasso tool to get the job done, and he explains two easy methods. One choice is to start by making a Lasso selection around the branch in question and employing the Patch tool to get rid of the branch altogether.

A better compositional approach, and it’s just as easy, it to retain the branch but move it slightly to the left. As you’ll see, the Lasso selection above is still the starting point, but here the trick is to use Photoshop’s Content Aware>Move option. And as with eliminating the branch, moving it only takes a few seconds.

This technique works wonders for images with a simple background. For more complex scenes, Kloskowski demonstrates a slightly more time-consuming method that also delivers excellent results. Either way, you’ll be able to get the job done in less time than it takes to watch the tutorial.

There are plenty more helpful editing tips on Kloskowski’s YouTube channel, so be sure and take a look. And don’t miss another basic Photoshop tutorial we posted last week, demonstrating another way to remove anything from a photo with a few simple clicks.